Indian Personal Law | Central Act

Personal Laws (Amendment) Act, 2019

The Personal Laws (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act No. 6 of 2019) amended five Central personal-law statutes by removing leprosy as a ground for divorce, dissolution of marriage or separate maintenance.

Act NumberNo. 6 of 2019
Presidential Assent21 February 2019
Legislative DepartmentMinistry of Law and Justice
SubjectRemoval of leprosy-based matrimonial and maintenance disabilities
Current legal status: The Personal Laws (Amendment) Act, 2019 was subsequently repealed by the Repealing and Amending Act, 2023 as a spent amending enactment. That repeal does not undo the amendments already incorporated into the principal Acts. The affected provisions therefore continue to operate in their amended form.

What the Personal Laws (Amendment) Act, 2019 changed

Parliament enacted this law to remove statutory references that treated leprosy as a ground affecting matrimonial or maintenance rights. The Act amended the Divorce Act, 1869; the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act, 1939; the Special Marriage Act, 1954; the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955; and the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956.

The official Gazette text records that the Act received the assent of the President on 21 February 2019.

Chapter I - Preliminary

Section 1 - Short title and commencement

1. (1) This Act may be called the Personal Laws (Amendment) Act, 2019.

(2) It shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.

Chapter II - Amendment to the Divorce Act, 1869

Section 2 - Amendment of section 10 of Act No. 4 of 1869

2. In the Divorce Act, 1869, in section 10, in sub-section (1), clause (iv) shall be omitted.

Chapter III - Amendment to the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act, 1939

Section 3 - Amendment of section 2 of Act No. 8 of 1939

3. In the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act, 1939, in section 2, in ground (vi), the words "leprosy or" shall be omitted.

Chapter IV - Amendment to the Special Marriage Act, 1954

Section 4 - Amendment of section 27 of Act No. 43 of 1954

4. In the Special Marriage Act, 1954, in section 27, in sub-section (1), clause (g) shall be omitted.

Chapter V - Amendment to the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955

Section 5 - Amendment of section 13 of Act No. 25 of 1955

5. In the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, in section 13, in sub-section (1), clause (iv) shall be omitted.

Chapter VI - Amendment to the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956

Section 6 - Amendment of section 18 of Act No. 78 of 1956

6. In the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956, in section 18, in sub-section (2), clause (c) shall be omitted.

Practical effect of the amendment

The 2019 amendment removed leprosy-specific grounds from the listed personal-law statutes. When researching a current matrimonial or maintenance matter, the principal Act as presently in force should therefore be consulted rather than relying on historical wording that still contains the omitted clauses.